slickens

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of slicken
noun
  1. Fine, harmful, and (when wet) slimy pulverized rock, a waste product (pollution) produced by hydraulic mining and quartz milling, which can silt up rivers and accumulate on soil downstream of such activities.

Word forms

slickens

Etymology

Ultimately a reference to the slimy, slick nature of the material. Compare slicken (“smooth”, adjective), slick (noun).

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